If Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder (CEWH) staff had any concerns about the learning value of their recent visit to Yangan State School, they would be reassured by the school principal's summation - the engagement levels were through the roof!
Principal Steven Grogan said CEWH Local Engagement Officer Greg Ringwood and Delivery Officer Jane Humphries, along with Queensland Fisheries staff, spent the day with year 4, 5 and 6 students at the Condamine River and Swan Creek conducting water testing, learning about water for the environment and healthy rivers as part of the school's science curriculum.
"Jane and Greg were so generous with their time and the students asked fantastic questions. They covered numerous topics including nutrients, macroinvertebrates, turbidity, habitat and biodiversity," Principal Grogan said.
"The students examined the water at both locations, collated their research into pie charts and graphs and asked their teacher about sending an email to Greg with follow-up questions.
"We were delighted with the students' enthusiasm and while it is early days for students to be thinking about future careers, I wonder if their day might inspire some to go on to work in land and water management.
"A lot of our children come from farms, so this is their every day, seeing parents working on the land and understanding water flows.
"The outside classroom learning is invaluable, and we could see the students thinking outside the box, using innovative techniques and challenging our guest presenters."
CEWH Local Engagement Officer Greg Ringwood said he and fellow staff member Jane Humphries were inspired by the Yangan primary school children thinking scientifically and learning from the outside classroom experience.
"Understanding water movements and the ecology of waterways is quite complicated but the students were not deterred by the subject matter. Their questions were high quality and both Jane and I were happy to delve into the topics they raised," Mr Ringwood said.
"We are always wanting to find ways to engage with local communities and help younger generations to become curious about waterways in their local area is an important part of building community knowledge of healthy rivers, plants and animals."
